Rylie West hit a three-run homer and No. 4 seed Tennessee defeated No. 5 seed Alabama 10-5 on Thursday in the opening game of the Women’s College World Series.
Jamison Brockenbrough and Katie Taylor had two hits and Kiki Milloy scored twice for the Lady Vols (50-8).
Tennessee’s Ashley Rogers, a first-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American, gave up two runs in four innings to improve to 19-1 this season.
Jenna Johnson and Kenleigh Callahan each had two hits and Marlie Giles hit a solo homer for Alabama (45-21). Jaala Torrence gave up six runs, but just two earned, in 2 1/3 innings for the Crimson Tide. Alabama committed three errors and allowed four unearned runs.
Tennessee opened the scoring in the second when Taylor doubled to knock in two. Milloy, the nation’s home run leader, was intentionally walked, then Zaida Puni doubled to score Taylor and Milloy and push the Lady Vols’ lead to 4-0.
In the third, Alabama’s Cahalan hit the ball off first base and it bounced high in the air, allowing two runs to score for the Crimson Tide.
Tennessee answered in the third when Brockenbrough, a freshman, hit her second home of the season. The two-run blast to center gave the Lady Vols a 6-2 lead and chased Torrence.
West’s three-run homer in the fourth increased Tennessee’s lead to 10-2.
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